Students of LAHSO distribute food to students at the Multicultural Fair. Credit: Tanisha Gunby/ Chronicle

To share the various aspects of their cultures with the student body, affinity groups played different genres of music and distributed food at the third annual Multicultural Fair on the quad April 17.

“I think the Multicultural Fair is a representation of our mission statement in that it both embraces and celebrates diversity and inclusivity,” Multicultural Fair founder and Asia Students in Action President Lucy Kim ’19 said. “It’s a time for people to not just express themselves in front of their friends, teachers and community in a way they usually might refrain from doing, but also to love themselves for who they are.”

BLACC leader Genesis Aire ’19 said that the fair also allowed the clubs to share ways in which their cultures are important to them. The affinity groups offer an opportunity for minority students to come together to talk about pressing issues in their community, Aire said.

Affinity group leaders held the Multicultural Fair as an attempt to lower societal barriers and allow groups to come together in a celebratory and productive way, Kim said. She said she thinks cooperation and appreciation during the organization process of the event are key to unlocking a more inclusive community.

“I think part of what makes it work so well is that you see a vast range of cultures juxtaposed at once and can sample and experience learning while having fun and eating good food,” Kim said.

Maya Doyle ’21 said that her favorite part of the fair was being able to experience different cultures through food.

“[The event] gave me a chance to see other Harvard-Westlake communities that I didn’t realize were so vibrant,” Doyle said. “It was also super fun to see everyone going to different booths.”

Similarly, students said the event offered a fun way to engage with other affinity groups on campus.

“My favorite part of the fair was the different music that each booth was playing because it was really cool to hear different varieties of music in different languages all within a few steps of each other,” Sarah Rivera ’21 said. “It helped create the feeling of mini cultures all mixing in one place.”